During the downtime, they've noticed fewer and fewer children in the city. Briefly asking around, they find no clear answer as to why. As they make their way to the Oak, they also find countless dolls spiked to trees.
Pre-session prep
This time around, I didn't have much time to prep anything specific. I did, however, write an initiative generator, so I'm using that for any combat that might occur. Additionally, it can generate HD for any random monsters that pop up.
Spoilers for Hole in the Oak below this line.
The Session
The party makes its way to the Hall of Kings via Teleportation Room (11). Those thieving roots did a number on them, they're not even considering taking that route any longer. The spider from the arch has taken up residence in the Hall of Kings while they've been away and drops down on August-Wilhelm, who's in front. A brief combat ensues, but the spider fails to land any hits and is dispatched.
The door to the Mutagenic Ogre has been smashed open, and the Ogre's in there snoring. They decide that, despite not having any character that's good at sneaking, someone should try and get in there and steal the sacks of, presumably, money. While in there, Rodwulf will sleep the mutated pets so they won't wake the Ogre up.
Eventually, Buffalo-Frans "volunteers" (peer pressure, more like it) and strips out of his armor -- he asked what the modifier would be, and I told him straight up that it's a -2 if wearing heavy armor. He sneaks across the Ogre, barely, and makes his way into the room. He kills the mutated pets and then picks up the 6 sacks and a human skull with runes carved into it. He makes his way back, and while trying to sneak across the Ogre again he missteps and slams his foot down on the Ogre's nose. The Ogre wakes up!
Enraged at the theft, the Ogre eventually calms down when Buffalo-Frans apologizes. He tells the party that he wants a new door, cos he knows that "they was the ones that did that". He also offers them 100gp per gnome they deliver. Some of the party members are more interested in this than others, with August-Wilhelm opposing it on moral grounds.
The party dismantles the door to area 26 and gives it to the Ogre. Finding the Dwarf corpse and looting it, they also find the little note about the water ghouls. When they move up to the arch just ahead of the vines, they decide that they'll rather not chance it and move back into the Hall of Kings.
They check out areas 23 and 24. Buffalo-Frans pulls one of the levers just to show that it's not dangerous at all, and, having proved that is no longer interested in them. August-Wilhelm pulls the first lever, and barely manages to avoid being crushed to death. He then pulls the rest of the levers. When he pulls the personality switch lever, his personality is switched with that of Halvar.
The Cleric of Helm is now cowardly, and Halvar is now brave. Oh, no! August-Wilhelm's player is not pleased. I suspect that Halvar's player is not pleased by it either, because he takes on a very active and reckless role, pushing the party to explore first area 20, and then quickly moving on to the door toward area 38. They break it down, eventually, and move into room 38.
Halvar ignores the battle and stomps around in the room, checking out the sliding door to room 36. Eventually, the lizard warrior won and turned on the group. Halvar goes down, as do Buffalo-Frans! The henchmen stand firm, though, and eventually, the lizard warrior is laid to rest.
Halvar loses an arm. He's unconscious and will require 11 weeks of rest. Buffalo-Frans is just bloodied, but with no lasting damage. The party still has no healing kit. They decide to retreat for now and make their way out of the dungeon.
Halvar is retired, the player figuring that he can't play an adventurer without two arms.
Session miscellany
It will take 4 days for Buffalo-Frans's wounds to heal.
Lafirth is hired by August-Wilhelm. Given a bonus of 5gp.
Unwin stays on in the service of Buffalo-Frans. Given a kill-bonus of 3gp. "To motivate them."
Goober stays on in the service Robustus, the new character for Halvar's player.
Namuun stays on in the service of Rodwulf.
Post-session
- A man is found murdered in Utböle. Bloody wolf tracks lead away from where his body was found.
- The populace still goes home early and shutter their windows and bars their doors.
- A group of teenagers hangs around the fountain in the market square. Old people are talking about how the youth of today...
- Mevverwen arrives from Falbo, speaking far and wide about a new invention called a "newspaper" wherein you can put "ads" and "news"
- Baron Guste von Platen's wife arrives, having spent a few months in Falbo. She's all about the new Royal Art Exhibition and talks about nothing else.
- A woman claims that Agda (the old woman in the hut) walked through a door in a garden wall, but that the door doesn't exist.
Robustus wakes up to a room full of blood smears, seemingly from his new war dog, Goober.
August-Wilhelm dreams of an evil stump that holds his heart in a vice.
Rodwulf receives a letter from a woman named Ginlög, who says she's locked up in an asylum for the criminally insane.
Buffalo-Frans hears sinister things moving in the inn where they're staying but finds no-one.
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