Encounter at Blackwall Keep - Part Three

5 August 2006

Players/Characters

Crumpus (Russell) 5th level male Human Fighter
Elzara (Will) 5th level female Elven Monk
Torvar Hammerguild (Ian) 6th level Male Dwarven Paladin
Tanith (Ewar) 4rd/1st level male Human Sorcerer/Warmage
Alexis Serria (Andrew) 4rd /2nd level female Human Cleric/Fighter
Eolias (Richard) 5th/1st level male Elven Ranger/Wizard

Game Events

Learning that the monsters mainly came out at night, the party had much discussion upon the various tactics that they could use.

A full frontal assault into the basement area was discounted, as was a raid with Alexis in front to attempt a turn of the creatures in favor of a stakeout at the top of the stairs to pin them in the doorway with ranged attacks and magic.

Night fell and the party readied themselves to combat the monsters.....

Around 3am the makeshift barricade was thrust aside as a zombie-looking humanoid, crawling with bright green worms pushed past and into the room where the party were waiting, only to be met with a hail of arrows and spells that dropped it before it could take more than a few steps.

As the group began to congratulate each other on an easy victory two more of the horrid creatures stepped out and charged into Elzara and Crumpus. Torvar bolstered the party with his aura of courage, but he himself was so badly affected by the fear eminating from the monsters that he turned and fled into the night. To the characters' horror, they discovered that each blow from the things transferred a putrid green worm onto them which immediately started to burrow into their skin.

All the group began slashing away at the monsters, but as Elzara unleashed a flurry of blows on the creature she was facing she was almost sick with horror as when she withdrew her hands they were crawling with many more worms!

Many of the group then halted their attacks on the monsters to aid their companions in ridding them of the worms - either picking them off or, in Eolias's case, shooting them off with a superb display of bowmanship.

Unfortunately, the zombie which had been dropped in the doorway, having healed back much of the damage, chose this precise moment to get up again, and flicked a worm across the room at the paladin.

Tanith used his fire breath to turn two zombies into mush whilst Crumpus finished off the other one, and then Eolias, aided by several other party members, used his Heal skill to successfully remove the worms burrowing under Elzara's skin and towards her brain. The last worm was removed and killed as it reached the very base of her skull - the equivalent of a bomb being disarmed with 0:01 on the timer!

The next morning the relief column sent from Diamond Lake arrived carrying a message from Allustan asking the group to escort Marzana, the battle mage, back to Diamond Lake.

After an uneventful two day's journey the party arrived at Allustan's home, where he spoke at length with Marzana, but was unable to learn much more about the worm-ridden undead that was already known, apart from the fact that there had been sightings all over the hills nearby. Obviously the threat was growing!

Allustan gathered the group together once more and presented them with all the artifacts that they had gathered along with copious notes documenting their discoveries and adventures of the past few weeks. He suggested that they travel to the Free City and seek out a sage called Elligos who would no doubt be able to help them further.

As they had already promised the Lizardman Shaman that they would petition for peace with its rulers, the party readily agreed, and set off for the great Free City.

Magical Items Found

XP Summary

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