Twenty Third Session, 2 July 2020

Valldel Amakiir - 4th Level Male Elven Rogue

Akadum Ironbeard - 3rd Level Male Dwarf Fighter

Dolin Stoneflare - 4th Level Male Dwarf Light Cleric

Kethry - 3rd Level Female Human Wizard

9 June 981, Thursday continued

Cool and partly cloudy

Akadum goes to the Foul Pheasant looking for a hand mirror.  The place looks like a casino with gambling tables and scantily clad women prancing about.  He is met by Perni Ticklebottom, a buxom halfling.  She is happy to sell him a hand mirror and asks if he would like some Pipeweed, perhaps some harder stuff, or maybe he would like some female company.  Akadum is interested in Pipeweed and wonders if one of the girls can style his hair and beard.  A very beautiful woman named Veronica da Vinci, who has an impressive hairdo, is happy to service Akadum for her usual fee.  They go up to her room where she begins working on his hair and beard.  Amidst the small talk Akadum tells her, he is an adventurer and is planning to explore the Barrowmaze.  She tells him there used to regularly be adventurers here in town, but they stopped appearing when the war started.  They told her the Barrowmaze is a ruin and a band of bandits uses it as a hideout.

She tries hard to convince Akadum to do something more with her, but he resists her charms.  She does charge him the usual fee for her time, and tells him to come back after he visits the Barrowmaze.  He drops 50 GP for a hand mirror, a couple of doses of Pipeweed, and an hour of her time.  She has done a terrible job on his hair and beard which she says is because his hair is so coarse and dry.  Come back again for a bath, conditioner for his hair, styling, and perhaps a happy ending.

Back at the Last Stop at the end of the evening the party finds that Myra Overstay is here.  She is going under the name of Branwenna.  She tells them she came here from Drigbolton as she did not completely trust Zelda, the Miss.  Here she can more easily hide out.  Apparently some of the locals know her and she sings some of her old folk songs to much acclaim from the locals.

10 June 981, Friday

Rain

Day 2 of Marriage games - Cart Pull Race

The party is up early and meet with two of Professor Illkin's graduate students, Nekron and Fitzwalter, and the two mercenaries, Sturix (Spear and Shield) and Fardic (Light Crossbow and Dagger).

They see the preparations for the Marriage Games which this day is the Cart Pull races.  Akadum visits Nathaniel and encourages him towards victory.

They head off into the Barrowmoor heading towards the Barrowmaze.  They realize how difficult the journey is.  The swamp trails are twisty and seem to be ever changing.  It is not so bad in the day as they can keep the mountains of the Moon Peaks on their left as they head south.  It takes them about 4 hours to make the 5 mile or so journey to the Barrowmaze.  They see it as a series of hills rising out of the swamp interspersed with some standing stones some of which are leaning crazily.  The dwarves note the hills do not really fit in with surrounding swamp terrain.  One of the larger hills has an opening leading beneath it with a stone door smashed into pieces on the ground in front.

They make their way towards the opening and pass right next to one of the smaller hills.  Kethry uses a Mage Hand to probe around the hill and finds an intact stone door covered with dirt and plants.  Using their weapons as tools they clear the door.  Kethry suggests using heat and then water to crack the door.  They build a fire against the door, help out with a Fire Bolt from Kethry, and then throw cold water on the hot stone.  This works well cracking the door and revealing a steep stairway leading down.  Akadum leads the way down with a torch and probing ahead with a 10-foot pole.  He gets down to the last step and can see four stone sarcophagi in a round room.  He throws the torch within, and Valdell enters checking for traps.

Dropping from the ceiling are giant centipedes which bite at Valdell and Akadum.  Akdum dispatches one with his hammer, Fardic from the up the stairs kills one with his crossbow, and Kethry has a magical misfire.  Valdell, using his magical Kris, strikes one of the horrors.  There is a bright flash destroying three of the centipedes, but Valdell collapses.  The remaining bites Akadum's leg, but Kethry finishes it off with a Fire Bolt, while Dolin cures Valdell.

Valdell had the feeling of being sucked into his sword when it struck and vows not to use it again.  He is still badly depleted and they decide he should drink their last remaining healing potion, the sketchy one they got from Xiximanter.  It works normally and they decide to continue exploring.  Valdell pushes the covers off the sarcophagi.  Within they find corpses rotted to dust and bone fragments, some jewelry and a bone handled dagger.  All note the decoration style is ancient Moran.

They head towards a large standing stone.  It is very worn but Kethry recognizes the script as being sacred to Hades and necromancers.  There is also a skull symbol which is typical for Hades and often seen in ancient Moran necropoli.  There is nothing to read except random letters and a few words as it so worn, but Kethry does recognize the exultation "death is a new beginning."

They see another mound and clear away its door and crack it open.  Within they find a surface level chamber with a wooden coffin on a raised dais.  Carefully they probe around finding nothing, and when Valdell pokes at the coffin it collapses in a heap again revealing nothing within except dust and bone fragments.  Lining the walls are 8 niches with amphorae.  The graduate students note the old amphorae are fairly rare as they are delicate and easily broken.  These are clearly ancient Moran.  Jon Fairbrain is distressed as taking these will consume all their carrying capacity as they need to be handled so carefully.

After some debate they decide to head back to Helix.  It is mid-afternoon and they do not want to be in the Barrowmoor after dark.  They have another 4 hour journey back, and note  whatever path they took back, it was almost certainly not the path they took there.

22nd Session, 18 June 2020

Valldel Amakiir - 3rd Level Male Elven Rogue

Akadum Ironbeard - 3rd Level Male Dwarf Fighter

Dolin Stoneflare - 4th Level Male Dwarf Light Cleric

Kethry - 3rd Level Female Human Wizard

9 June 981, Thursday continued

Cool and partly cloudy

Akadum questions the obviousness of the identification of the Squire as the murderer.  He questions the Paladin Tiberous who responds by thanking the party for saving the servants of Ares from making a terrible mistake and bringin embarassment to the god.  He offers them whatever service he and his chaplain can perform for them.  The party thinks on this.

They go over to the Constabulary, release the Shud-folk, and imprison the Squire.  He continues to babble about the injustice being done and how the Bumblebee Bandit will right the wrong being done here.  The constables seem quite relieved by the story told by the party and the Paladin; they were not looking forward to taking care of burning of the Shud-folk, including three small children.

The matriarch of the Shud-folk clan, Vorzana, thanks the party and says she and her family owe them a debt.  They will be leaving the area as soon as they can, as they do not feel welcome after recent events.  Dolin suggests the Paladin should go with them as a way to pay off his debt to both the party and the family.  After some discussion all think that is a fabulous idea.  Vorzana will write the party, including a snake token Akadum gives her, to let them know if all goes well.

Dolin, Tiberous and Catronia shake on this deal and part.

Valdell shows up at Beatrix the Bog Witch's place to have his cursed ring removed.  She notes what a great service he and his friends have done for the Shud-folk and Ares the God.  To remove his curse she gives him a woven necklace holding a leather bag.  It smells very bad.  He should wear this for three days and return.  Then he will have to bathe in Swamp Essence.  Then she can safely remove the ring.  Do not take the necklace off until he returns.  Best of luck in the Barrowmoor.

Akadum goes to Turgen's Trade Goods and purchases a ten foot pole, torches, and lamp oil.  The oil is three times the regular price.  Akadum wants a small hand held metal mirrors, but there are none for sale.  Billworth Turgen suggests he can perhaps find some hand mirrors at the Foul Pheasant; all the girls there certainly have them and will happily do just about anything for enough money.

The party heads back to the Last Stop and run into Professor Illkin.  He seems confused and disappointed that he missed the excitement yesterday, but now he wants to focus on observing the progress of justice while one of his graduate students, Blix, will monitor the Marriage games.  The other two, Nekron and Fitzwalter, and the two mercenaries, Sturix and Fardic, will head out tomorrow to make an initial mapping of the Barrowmaze on the surface.  Do they have any worries about undead?  Do not be silly.  That is simply a story the locals tell outsiders to keep them away from their ancient burial sites.  They agree to meet early tomorrow morning and make a joint expedition.

The party goes to see the opening day of the Marriage Games.  There is a speech by the Headman, Impert Laverick, who talks about what a wonderful and important tradition this is and how the whole town owes a debt and utmost honor to all the participants.  Their sacrifice helps to maintain the tranquility and prosperity of the town.  There is a moment of silence for the dead Jessica Reuter, and the party is noted as having been key in bringing her murderer to justice.  They note she will be burned tomorrow; all the dead in Helix are burned to make sure they do not come back.

Day 1, today, will be wrestling, day 2 will be cart pulling, day 3 will be lotus root gathering, day 4 will be stone throwing, day 5 will be hanging fights (there is a great deal of cheering at this), day 6 will be the fire ant challenge, and day 7, if a winner is not already clear, will be poison chalice roulette.  The winning bride to be will then do her service for the town.  He then introduces six couples who will be competing.

The wrestling begins, and the party notes the men clearly do not know what they are doing.  Akadum shouts encouragement and advice to the burliest looking, one Nathanial Gainsborough, whose prospective bride is Prudence Nelthorpe.  He emerges as the winner of the day, and thanks Akadum for his help.

Dolin talks with the Headman and asks about the nature of the "sacrifice" the winning bride has to make.  The headman is evasive and suggests Dolin should talk to the clergy gesturing towards the Priest of Zeus, Priestess of Hera, and Priest of Demeter.  Dolin does not do this, but is uneasy.

Twenty First Session, 4 June 2020

Valldel Amakiir - 3rd Level Male Elven Rogue

Akadum Ironbeard - 3rd Level Male Dwarf Fighter

Dolin Stoneflare - 3rd Level Male Dwarf Light Cleric

Kethry - 3rd Level Female Human Wizard

8 June 981, Wednesday Continued

Hot and sticky

Valldel asks after the Lamp Oil Shop and Urgritte tells him that it is locallyfamous as the proprietor has figured out some way to produce lamp oil locally rather than having to import it.  It is quite cheap, but for some odd reason he will only sell a pint at time to any one person or group.

Dolin is intrigued by the Ship which Valdell saw out behind the Bog Witches shack.  He goes there and sees a ship way too large for the swamp.  It is still a skeleton and there is middle aged man working on it.  He is Tom Grayson, a retired carpenter.  He says that he has had a vision that there will be a great flood.  The people of Helix can be saved by this ship.  Dolin looks at the ship and can see some obvious flaws, and the plans make no sense.  Dolin takes his leave.

Valldel goes to see the Bowyer, an elf called Valeron.  He has nicely made bows and arrows and things he claims made from Giant Spider Silk found in the Thornwild Forest.  Valldel pays a bunch for a cloak of Giant Spider Silk.  Valldel tells him of his plans to explore the Barrowmaze.  Valeron warns him to stay out of the Barrowmoor at night; undead prowl the swamp.  Also he has heard the maze harbors a degenerate race that captures adventurers and sells them for slaves.

Kethry, Jon Fairbrain, and Akadum go to the Last Stop Inn and Tavern.  There they encounter Professor Illkin.  He is very excited.  He tells them there is a betrothal party going on here.  This is the first step in the local Solstice Festival which the locals call the Marriage Games.  Apparently all the couples who have pledged their troth in the last year compete in some physical and mental contests, with the winners doing some sort of great service for the town.  He is not clear what this might be.  He asks Kethry to pledge her troth with one of his gradaute students so they could compete in the Marriage Games.  It would make a great book describing the life ways of the primitive Shud Folk.  He would happily acknowledge Kethry in the forward.

Kethry is disgusted and hits Illkin with a Charm Person.  She tells him to go upstairs to his room and do some reading.  His gradaute students should join him.  Plus she hopes he never speaks to her again.  He does so dragging his students away from the growing party.

Kethry spends time copying the spell Blur into her spell book.

The others arrive and the party is in full swing.  Dolin seeks out the clergy.  He avoids the local head of the Temple, a priest of Zeus, but finds one Catronia a preistess of Ares.  She is here with a paladin of Ares who is on a final quest before he goes off to join the war effort.  The Paladin is a monster in combat with his heavy armor and two handed sword, but she can still take him with quickness and cunning in unarmed combat.  They came her on the advice of the Paladin's Squire, who is really a jerk, as he is a big fan of the Bumblebee Bandit series of novels and came here to try to get an early copy of the latest novel, The Battle of the Bumblebee Bandit.  She cannot understand how any one can waste any time on such useless drivel that borders on pornography.  She notes the betrothed woman is Jessica Reuter, who is of the family of the printers making the Bumblebee Bandit book.  She is not a local and does not really know what the point of the Marriage Games is, and hopes the Paladin will move on to find a worthy quest, but that jerk Squire is the reason they are here.

The party is very nice with an extended family of Shud Folk providing entertainment.  There is an old woman who tells fortunes with Tarot cards, there is a pair of brothers who perform Shud Folk ballads, notably Ain't No Grave:

There ain't no grave can hold my body down

There ain't no grave can hold my body down

When I hear that trumpet sound I'm gonna rise right out of the ground

Ain't no grave can hold my body down

Well, look way down the river, what do you think I see?

I see a band of angels and they're coming after me

Ain't no grave can hold my body down

There ain't no grave can hold my body down

Well, look down yonder Triton put your feet on the land and sea

But Triton don't you blow your trumpet 'til you hear it from me

There ain't no grave can hold my body down

Ain't no grave can hold my body down

Well, meet me, Hades, meet me, meet me in the middle of the air

And if these wings don't fail me I will meet you anywhere

Ain't no grave can hold my body down

There ain't no grave can hold my body down

Kethry quite likes the song.  There is a very well done puppet show featuring puppets that look like the betrothed couple.

The exhuberence is interrupted when one of the Shud Folk musical brothers apparently propositions the bride to be.  A scuffle broke out with the girl kicking her would be suitor and the girls father slugging him.  The Shud man, who is quite drunk, vows that all will learn what "Shud pride" means and how Shud men behave when “bitch gaje” reject them.  The father of the bride was screaming about not paying for the show and wanting the whole crew of Shud-folk locked up.  The old Shud woman curses the new couple with bad fortune.

The party breaks up abruptly, and the party turns in to their rooms at the Last Stop.

9 June 981, Thursday

Cool and partly cloudy

There is a great deal of commotion early in the morning and the party awakens to discover the betrothed girl, Jessica Reuter is dead.  She was found in the courtyard of the Reuter Printers and Bindery with a knife wound in the back and slashed throat.  The local constables, three inexperienced youths as the local sheriff is fighting on the Northern Front and the Paladin of Ares followed a trail of bloody footprints to the wagons of the Shud Folk.  There they found a pig slaughtered ritualistically, the puppet of the bride hacked to pieces, and the Shud Man who caused all the trouble last night covered in blood.  They decided to gather up all the Shud Folk (old woman, two brother musicians, puppeteer family (husband, wife, three small children)) and throw them in the local lock up, and prepare a burning for them since they are obviously guilty and demon worshippers.

The party is unconvinced.  Kethry suggests finding all the other potential brides as obviously this is how to win the Marriage Games.  Investigating the bloody foot prints, Dolin notes how precise and even the trail is between the Book Bindery and Shud Folk wagon camp.  He also notes the foot print blood seems to be pig's blood even though the foot prints lead from the Bindery to the wagon camp.  Talking with the one young constable who is guarding the wagon camp they learn the pig was simply sitting in the middle of the camp where there is not a large pool of blood.  Looking in the wagons for further clues, such as the murder weapon, they find a blood stained yellow and black cloak which seems out of place among the Shud Folk clothing which tends towads dark and ornate.  It matches the signature clothing of the Bumblebee Bandit.

They go to the Constablary where they find the Shud Folk in cells with the crying children separated from their parents.  Speaking to the old woman, in whose wagon they found the blood stained cloak, she tells them she has never seen such a hideous garment, and her nephew was just drunk, acting stupid, and afterwards passed out.  There is no way he could have committed the murder.

They head over to the Book Bindery where to their surprise they find the family hard at work.  They speak with Kurt Reuter, father of the dead woman.  He tells them the Bumblebee Bandit book, the worst sort of mind rotting junk, is a big deal for the family, they are on a tight deadline, and work distracts them from their grief.  It is what Jessica would have wanted them to do.  They ask if any one showed interest in the new Bumblebee Bandit novel.  He mentions that the Paladin's Squire turned up a few days ago trying to get an advanced copy.  They told him to go away; they would be in breach of their contract if any advance copies got out.  He made a pest of himself.

Dolin asks if any copies are missing.  Kurt tells him no, the printed copies are carefully packed and no one has messed with them.  There were galley proofs which they printed some time ago to check if all was OK and they have one in their safe.  Dolin suggests they check and upon opening the safe they find the book missing.  Kurt is beside himself.  Did his daughter really loose her life over a stupid Bumblebee Bandit novel?  Who would do such a horrible thing?

Dolin formulates a plan with Kethry and Valdell.  They will go to the Temple.  He and Kethry will approach Catronia, distract the Squire, and Valdell will go to the Squire's room and look for evidence.  Kethry suggests she could raise the pig or girl and ask them who killed them.  Dolin and the others think this is likely to be a very bad idea.  Kethry is disgusted, but goes along with Dolin's plan.

At the Temple they find the Paladin and Squire are in a courtyard practicing with wooden swords and padded armor.  Catronia greets Dolin warmly and he tells her of their suspiscions.  They show her the blood stained yellow and black cloak.  She says the Squire, who is named Fastonius, has a Bumblebee Bandit costume which he wears to party's and such.  Are they really telling her that he killed some young woman to get his hands on a trashy novel?  She leads them up to his room.  There is a chest which Valdell is able to open.  It is filled with Bumblee Bandit novels and there is a galley of The Battle of Bumblee Bandit.  They gather it and return below to confront the Squire.

The Squire and Paladin are finished sparring, and the party and Catronia accuse Fastonous of the terrible crime displaying the blood stained cloak and the galley of the new novel.  This seems to unhinge him, and he declaims, "No evil doers can capture the Bumblebee Bandit!" as he runs toward an impossibly tall wall with the clear intent to leap over it.  Dolin hits him with a Hold Person.  The Paladin, Tiberious, is at first incredulous, but when Dolin and Catronia tell him of their evidence he admits the merit of their case.  He picks up the limp Squire and tells them they should head to the Constablary to free the Shud Folk and see this wretch gets his just punishment.

20th Session, 20 May 2020

Valldel Amakiir - 3rd Level Male Elven Rogue

Akadum Ironbeard - 3rd Level Male Dwarf Fighter

Dolin Stoneflare - 3rd Level Male Dwarf Light Cleric

Kethry - 3rd Level Female Human Wizard

5 June 981, Sunday, Continued

Partly cloudy and warm

Kethry tells Jon Fairbrain to gather provisions for their journey to Helix.  He notes to them there is little here in Drigbolton and Helix is bigger and a better spot for provisions.

7 June 981, Tuesday

Cool and cloudy

They meet with Zelda.  She has identified the kris, which is actually long enough to be a short sword as a +1 magical weapon plus with something else that she cannot figure out.  It is a not curse, but something strange.  Valdell takes it for use.

The snake statue is magical, but she cannot figure out what it does.  Maybe it is part of a larger thing?

The Purple Mushrooms are as Kethry thought of the sort used to make stone to flesh.  She offers them 1000 GP for them, but they suggest 500 GP plus half of the produced potions.  She agrees with that.

The strange potion from Xiximanter does indeed seem to be an ordinary healing potion despite its strange appearance.  Jon Fairbrain takes it and puts it with the bunch of potions they got from treasure room in the Clooney Caves.

They begin their journey to Helix climbing out of the Drigbolton valley and up into the Moon Peaks.  Around lunch time they pass the Ironguard Motte which is a castle surrounded by a Moran Army training camp.  Along the road are many establishments; bars and female entertainment.  They elect not to stop, Valdell is worried he might be recognized, and they press on.  They begin descending and can see the Barrowmoor to the south and the Thornwild Forest, pines, to the north.  Beyond they can see the rough, broken country known as the Shud Lands.

As night falls they get to the cut off road that leads to Bogton.  Here there is a road house called the Marching Tankard.

They see a large man come out and shake some large lanterns lighting the entrance way to the Inn.  He greets them as Gunther Grohl and tells them if they want to press on to Helix is is a few miles along the main road.  They decide to stay and enter the inn.  The fare is fish, crayfish, and game gathered from the Barrowmoor.  Also present is a vaguely middle-eastern looking man with three young men who are very differential to him, and two other rougher looking sorts.  Overhearing their conversation the man is Professor Tevrat Ilkin and he wants to explore the Barrowmaze to study the burial customs of the Shud Folk.

They talk directly and Ilkin tells them he is a Professor at the White College and this is a summer field study.  The Shud Folk are thought to be pre-Moran.  He has with him three graduate students and has hired two mercenaries for protection against the swamp beasts and carry any artifacts they might find.  He notes this Inn is rife with Shud Folk  influence.  The inn keeper is clearly a Moran, but the serving girls and stable boys clearly have the Shud Folk look.  Look at the vermin they serve and eat!  It belies their simple folk ways which are so fascinating.

His plan is to head to Helix tomorrow morning and visit the The Last Stop Inn and Tavern.  It is well known as a gathering place for the Shud Folk.  Also in a week is the Solstice Fest in Helix which is some sort of pre-marriage ritual, the Marriage Games, which he cannot wait to study.

The party tells them that they are too are heading to Helix and planning to explore the Barrowmaze.  Perhaps they can arrange to work together.  Privately Akadum tells them Ilkin and his party are likely doomed if they do not get help.  They agree to watch out for Ilkin and company.  On the other hand they find Ilkin's overbearing ways and superior attitude to the Shud Folk to be highly annoying.

They also ask after the lamps, and the waitress, who is one of Grohl's daughters tells them they are full of Barrowmoor fire flys.  They need to be regularly fed, fruit or honey, and then shaken and they will produce light, dull greenish glow, for a few hours.  They can buy hand held ones tomorrow.

8 June 981, Wednesday

Hot and sticky

Helix, traditional start of the Great Games by couples pledging.  Start the Dead Bride with a party celebrating at The Last Stop.

They purchase some Fire Fly lanterns and make the short way to Helix with Professor Illkin, his three students, and two mercenaries who at least look well armed.  One of the students Fitzwalter tells them how excited he is to be going to Helix.  His favorite book series starring the Bumblebee Bandit has a new entry coming out, The Battle of the Bumblebee Bandit.  It is printed in Helix and he hopes to get a copy.  He shares with them a drawing of the Bumblebee Bandit and a pre-release page of text:

...unfortunately the struggle had caused her

corset to come undone. “Oh, my modesty!”

cried Lady Labreque, attempting gather her

torn gown over her lady dumplings...

...“Oh, yes, Bumblebee Bandit!” The Lady

Labreque was overcome with thoughts so

unlike a lady but so like a woman. “I will...

The party is horrified, but Fitzwalter continues to talk about the various plots of the Bumblebee Bandit novels and asks if they have read "50 Shades of Ulfire"?

As they arrive in the town, it is mid-morning, they make arrangements to meet with Professor Illkin and company for dinner at the Last Stop.  The party plans to meet at the Temple and decide where to go for lunch.

Akadum goes to the Tobacco Shop.  There he sees they are selling tobacco and carved pipes from the Shud Wilds.  He notes the art is raw but effective.  He buys a bear shapped pipe, and some Shud Wilds tobacco.

Kethry goes to the Wizards Tower.  The tower is three stories tall and seems ill kept with moss growing up the sides and it might be leaning.  There is an impressive observing dome on the top.  A sign on the outside says "Do Not Disturb" but she knocks any way.  A hunched man in blue wizard robes and a pointed wizard hat, which is bent half way up, and are covered with small metal trinkets with chime musically as he moves, appears and asks what she wants and if she can read?  Kethry says she can read and is instersted in trading knowledge.  He introduces himself as Muzzahs and invites her in.  The inside seems bigger than the outside, and it is quite nice and cozy.  He prepares a cup of tea and they an elliptical talk eventually agreeing to trade spells with Kethry getting Blur and Muzzahs getting Spectral Stilletto.  Kethry does not mentions her interest in the Barrowmaze or her connection with Zelda.

Dolin goes to The Axe and Anvil which is a smithery run by a dwarf named Karg Barrelgut.  They strike a bargain for a set of half plate that will be ready in about a week for a very good price.  Karg tells Dolin that there regularly used to be adventurers going to the Barrowmaze, but since the war started there have been fewer.  Adventurers are in danger of getting swept up by Imperial Army press gangs from the Ironguard Motte.  Dolin is the first person this season heading to the Maze.  Karg says it is infested with undead and Dolin should go to the Brazen Strumpet where Bollo knows much more about the Barrowmaze.  The Last Stop is indeed patronized by the Shud Folk and go there for music.  The Foul Pheasant is the place to go for gambling, and female entertainment.  He does not know much about the maze, but he has heard that all its entrances are trapped.

Valdell goes to the little shack at the south end of town, almost in the Barrowmoor, with Fortunes and Readings sign.  Within is a women named Beatrix who looks like Griya and claims to be her sister.  Beatrix reads Valdell's tea leaves, the tea is strange tasting, and gets a vague foreshadowing of an unpleasant future.  She notes his cursed ring and says she can fix that for him.  No charge, she just wants the ring and in return gives him a dried frog, which she tells him is a luck token.  Come back tomorrow and she will be ready to remove his curse.

The party meets and heads to the Brazen Strumpet on Dolin's recommendation.  There is a warhammer and shield hanging over the bar.  It is quiet and they are waited on by Urgritte, who is a tall handsome woman with blonde braided hair.  She seems to like Dolin.  They speak with Bollo who is tending bar.  He tells them he was an adventurer until he took an arrow in the knee.  He has been to the Barrowmaze.

He draws a rectangle on a napkin.  The northern third he covers with dots.  These are small crypts some of which have been looted, some which have not and may contain treasure.  There are minor undead.  Some of crypts have tunnels that lead to the maze below.  He draws lines in a complicated pattern that extends into the southern two thirds of the diagram.  This is maze itself which is undeground.  It is easy to get lost.  There are tablets with rune writing on them.  Some are cursed but some contain valuable information.  There are stranger more powerful things down there and magical treasures.  They mention Professor Illkin's theory that it is a burial place for the ancient Shud Folk.  He just laughs and retrives a gold coin.  It is an ancient Moran coin, hundreds maybe a thousand years old which he retrieved from the Maze.  The Maze is an ancient Moran necropolis.  He has no idea why the old Morans buried their dead so far from the coast, but old Moran stuff is what is found in the crypts and in the Barrowmaze.

Akadum notices a dirty bad smelling man seated in a dark corner.  The waitress brings some soup and tells them the man is called Alaster and Bollo tells the staff to be nice to him and give him whatever he might want.  Akadum talks to Alaster.  He is not coherent babbling about the walking dead, the darkness, traps, and being lost.  Urgritte tells them he has been around for at least three years.  Bollo tells them Alaster was an adventurer, a thief so be careful, and his fellow party members were killed and Alaster was lost in the Maze for days.  The Elf, Valeron, who is the Bowyer and Fletcher found Alaster in the Moor and brought him back might be able to tell them more.

They have time to see more of the town before heading to the Last Stop for dinner.

Nineteenth Session; 30 April 2020

Valldel Amakiir - 3rd Level Male Elven Rogue

Akadum Ironbeard - 3rd Level Male Dwarf Fighter

Dolin Stoneflare - 3rd Level Male Dwarf Light Cleric

Kethry - 3rd Level Female Human Wizard

5 June 981, Sunday, Continued

Partly cloudy and warm

They meet Xiximanter, who looks like a skeletal snakeman.  He is attended by four fungal goblins, all of whom are called Kevin.  Kethry can see him glowing with magic.  After getting a glimpse, Jon Fairbrain tells them he will wait outside.  Tony is terrified and hides within the folds of Valldel's clothes.

Xiximanter tells them how pleased the Priests have sent them to visit him.  He hopes they would like to trade.  He makes creations, indicating potions, by using essential salts, oils, and other substances.  These are used to extract the "essence" from living creatures which is then transformed by other substances and processes to things of use.  For example to create a healing elixir ten fungal goblins, one regular human, or maybe the arm of a magical creature would suffice.  Are they interested in tradeing?  Kethry would do nicely, or perhaps that little creature with the Elf, or maybe the magical thing that is stuck to the Elf.  He could take that off, there would be some discomfort, but the magic would be intact for "extraction".

They are a bit taken aback, but say what they are really interested in is knowledge.  Perhaps some of his notes on matters of interest.  Xiximanter considers that saying his main interest is in life extension.  In fact the fungal goblins are based on his work when he noted that mushrooms and other fungi were essentially immortal able to spawn themselves with spores.

Did Xiximanter create the fungal goblins?  Yes, here he pats the head of nearest one who cringes at the touch.  They are loveable scamps, telling me they are all called Kevin, but with enough of them he can create many things, and they are self perpetuating with a fungal spawning system that is fueled by their own waste.  Unfortunately there are some effects that simply cannot be extracted from creatures as simple as fungal goblins.  Thus my need for more complex creatures, especially those of a magical nature.  Typically he needs a "seed" and out of which a creature or effect of a similar nature can be created.  It is all quite complex and his secrets will not be sold cheaply.

Kethry tells him she is an apprentice of Master Pye, and he tells her that he has had dealings with Pye's minions before.  Kethry asks if anything can be done with her animated mummy hand.  Xiximanter takes the hand, looks it over, and says this is not a self-sustaining entity.  It needs to be regularly renewed and nourished else it will fade.  Kethry mentions the orange jelly, and he notes that substance was one of his own creations, would work at sustaining the hand.  He also mentioning "deadly water" and blood as being effective.

They agree that Xiximanter can have her summoned familar Dr.Hoot.  He goes back into another room which they note is full of boxes and barrels and they can hear him rumaging around.  He comes back with a yellow potion which has the shadow of a face in it.  He says it is a healing potion and says this simple exchange is a gesture of good faith in future commerce.  Come back any time.  The priests above are happy to support his efforts.

They ask to be shown out, and he directs one of the Kevins to lead them out.

The fungal goblin leads them back through the Basilisk room, and to the bottom of the pit they first came down to this level.  He tells them they are terrified of Xiximanter.  There is nothing they can do to hurt him, and he regularly harvests them to fuel his magical experiments.  Kevin has seen 100's, maybe 1000's, go into Xiximanter's lab and never return.  If the party wants to attack Xiximanter, the Fungal Goblins would help in any way they could.  Xiximanter thinks the snakemen priests who built this shrine/tomb countless years ago are still active.  He flies into a rage if any one contradicts his belief.

They ask when Xiximanter last left the complex.  Kevin thinks and says 100 moons ago, i.e. about 7 years.  He only goes out when the new moon coincides with a solstice.  Kethry and Valdell realizes that is once every 15 years or so.

At the bottom of the pit, Kevin calls up, and disarms a trap.  A rope ladder is thrown down, and they climb up to the next level.  There is a squad of Fungal Goblins who Kevin leads the party past as "Master Xiximanter" has ordered them to be escorted to the surface.  Kevin leads them to the bottom of the pit that leads up to the top level.  Again he disarms the trap and tells them there is nothing on that upper level and they can be safely out.

On the first level they find their donkey waiting for them, and they make their way out.  It is growing dark and they decide to make their way to the Spinewith Mansion.  On the way they conclude that Xiximanter, likely a Lich, and the Fungal Goblins are not much of a threat.  With the Fungal Goblin spawning chamber burned out there is not an infinite army of Kevins, and Xiximanter will be preoccupied with his studies.  They will tell Zelda such and suggest she get some sort of militia to defend Drigbolton and patrol the nearby roads.  The small number of Fungal Goblins remaining is not much of a threat.

They get to Spinewith Mansion a few hours after sunset and are greeted by the gablin Iux, who tells them the Miss Spinewith is at her telscope, she and Godfred will prepare them a cold meal, and take them up to speak with the Miss.  Dolin throws some cures on Valdell and Akadum.

After eating they find Zelda at the telescope.  They tell her the threat to Drigbolton by the Clooneys/Fungal Goblins has been neutralized.  Their spawning has been stopped and their are only 10 or so left.  Xiximanter is absorbed with his creations, and is very reclusive.  They do give her the magic items they gathered (healing potion, kris, snake statue, purple mushrooms), and she will work to identify them.  She will also make sure Drigbolton is patrolled and defended in the future.  They ask her not to bargain with Xiximanter.  She says the problems brought on by stuff falling from the sky are much more pressing, and, as they note, Xiximanter can wait.

They would like to turn their attention to the Barrowmaze and travel to Helix.  Zelda agrees with their assessment and tells them that Muzzahs the Magnificent is an ally in Helix.  He can help them get to the Barrowmaze as he supported her father's expeditions.  Most never returned, the one that claimed they had successfully explored the maze produced the fake Tablets of Chaos, and likely never went to the Barrowmaze.

Dolin gathers the golden bowls they found in the Clooney Caves and brings them down to the temporary Temple in Drigbolton and casts Augery appealing to Apollo to offer guidance on an exploration of the Barrowmaze.  At first it is good, but then it turns bad.  Dolin interprets this as initial success followed by bad things.

Kethry casts Find Familiar to call a new one to replace Dr. Hoot, but, while she thinks the spell went right, a new familiar does not appear.

6 June 981, Monday

Warm and Partly Cloudy

In the morning they are awoken early by the village headman Unwick.  He is babbling that the old knight Sir Thomish is dead and his wife Branwenna is claiming they are the famous folk singers Myra and Teper Overstay.  They are wanted for treason by the Moran Empire.  They were highly satirical bards who still have a broad fan-base among the Empire's youth.  Valdell heard their songs still being sung when he was at school.  Myra and Teper were songwriters and singers.  Their third partner Apul Strayer was captured by the Imperial Police and was reported to have died while attempting to escape custody when he tripped down a flight of stairs, fell out of a window, and impaled himself 69 times on a sword.  Tragic.  They, as Teper, Apul, and Myra had some big hits, If I Had a Mattock, Fupp the Magic Dragon, Blowin' in the Breeze, Tell It On the Massiff, The Times They Are A Mutating, Leaving On A Fast Stage, but got in trouble with the Moran Imperium for their anti-war anthem Where Have All the Blossoms Gone?  This was 20 or so years ago when Emperor Devit was fighting his wars of re-unification.  It was rumored they and their friend and song writing partner, they covered many of his songs, Tar Mermen, had fled to the empty, mountainous interior of the Tasprian Penninsula.

They decide to go into the village.  Akadum wants to visit the Green Sphere, Zelda wants to talk with Branwenna/Myra, and Kethry wants to talk with Griya to perhaps get some information on the Barrowmoor, as after all Griya is a Bog Witch.  Kethry will meet them later as she is spending a day copying a spell she got from Griya, Chameleon, into her spell book.

On the way in they notice the talking animals circulating among the villagers.  One of the farmers tells them the villagers have been feeding the animals and in return the animals help to fertilize the fields and help the villagers hunt non-talking animals.

They meet the grieving widow Myra at the King Deer over breakfast.  Akadum notes the Bill of Fare now includes lots of game.  Branwenna/Myra wants to remain hidden, but thinks something should be done to let their fans know of Teper's death.  Zelda points out how awkward this is.  How do they let folks know about Teper's death without drawing unwanted  Imperial attention to Drigbolton?  Talking it out they decide to plant the story that he was in Leechfeld, large town with the White College, and Myra will head west to join Tar Mermen who is hiding out in the mountains to the west and north of Helix.  Zelda will handle it using her connections in Leechfeld, as the party is interested in heading to Helix.

They journey to the Shrine of Demeter and see the lush, but not out of control growth apparently facilitated by the Green Sphere.  All seems OK there.  They head back towards Spinewith manor.

In Drigbolton they find Kethry.  She has successfully copied her spell and she and Akadum go to see Griya.  Griya is in her hut and seems to be packing with Ponsafine, her apprentice.  They tell her they are planning to investigate the Barrowmaze.  She tells them that the Barrowmaze is about five miles due south of Helix; it not that hard to find as it is high ground amid the swamp.  There are other things in the swamp including the little village of Bogton, there is turn off to the south on the road to Helix, a Frogmen nest south of the Barrowmaze, a tribe of Spiked Goblins even further south, and at the southern end of the Barrowmoor is the village of Woodfall, which she tells them is a center of resistance to the Morans.  On their query she tells them that also in the Barrowmoor is the home of the Bog Witches.  She and her apprentice are headed there.  She admits that she and her sisters cannot compete with Zelda here in Drigbolton.

She tells them in Helix to simply ask after the Bog Witches.  Friends will find them.  She warns them north of Helix is the Thornwild Forest.  Those even more loyal to the Old Ways and The Elder Gods, a group known as the Cult of the Stag, are active there.  They are very dangerous.

Plan is to get going tomorrow.  Zelda will make sure their items made out of star metal get sent on to them in Helix, and she will work hard over night to ID the magic items they found in the Clooney Caves.

18th Session; 16 April 2020

Valldel Amakiir - 3rd Level Male Elven Rogue

Akadum Ironbeard - 3rd Level Male Dwarf Fighter

Dolin Stoneflare - 3rd Level Male Dwarf Light Cleric

Kethry - 3rd Level Female Human Wizard

5 June 981, Sunday, Continued

Partly cloudy and warm

They continue down the sloping corridor.  Valldel sees nothing out ahead and falls into the pit trap at the end.  Through the door and they see a room with a central pit with flame burning in the center.  There is a hiss, clearly the source of the flame is gas coming up from below.  The pit is littered with charred bones and via Dr. Hoot Kethry can see some glittering soot coated things.  Kethry casts a Mage Hand and gathers up these and finds two medium sized jewels.

After dithering, they decide to head into the bad smelling natural caves.  There is a room with low ceiling and filled with piles of what looks to be improvised weapons.  Dolin launches Burning Hands blindly into the room and they hear a scream and find one dead Fungal Goblin who was apparently wielding a pole arm.

They head out one of the two exits, down a narrow passage, and into another low room filled with rocks and indistinct piles of dirt.  Akadum probes ahead and realizes the piles are actually Fungal Goblins sleeping.  Valldel sneaks in and they dispatch two before realizing there are six more in the room.  Some of the Goblins move to attack but are burned up by Kethry's Burning Hands and the remainder flee out the far end of the room.  Around the other way they find what looks to be a Fungal Jungle with pools of water and a riot of many sorts of fungi and mushrooms.  Kethry sees a patch of magical, purple mushrooms she recognizes as being able to re-animate someone turned into stone.  Jon Fairbrain is sent into the jungle to gather the mushrooms, and while he is doing that a large number of Goblins come around the corner and attack.  They begin by throwing a mushroom which lands between Dolin and Kethry and the cloud of spores cause both of them to be confused.  Dolin begins loudly extolling the virtues of Apollo while the Goblins swarm them.  The others rush to rescue them while Jon Fairbrain retreats after gathering the Purple Mushrooms.

The goblins are dispatched when Kethry snaps out of it and the other smash the remainder.  They press ahead as Akadum sees a Goblin on a throne in the next room.  He shoots it and it falls to pieces.  It was an effigy made of sticks with a crown of bent cutlery.  Dolin exults in the destruction of a false god.

After some debate they press on and find a Fungal Goblin midden, containing stuff too putrid to even discuss.  Finally they get to what looks like a large mushroom growing area noting some of the mushrooms have hands and eyes.  They spread oil and burn this area thoroughly assuming it is the Fungal Goblin spawning ground.

Beyond is a twisty passage leading to a door in worked stone corridor.  Just beyond that is a rotating pillar that fills the corridor.  There is a niche in the pillar and one can get in it and rotate the pillar to pass beyond.  Rotating it one way leads to stabbing spear that they all manage to avoid.  The other reveals an alcove with a pair of gold bowls and a stone snake idol.

The short corridor beyond leads to the far side of the big room in which they fought the basilisk.  The corridor beyond leads to two doors one of which is an ornate snake mosaic.  They go through the unlocked plain door and are greeted by a hideous, skeletal snake man who says, "Greetings bipeds."